Forgive and Forget
by peaceandlovebabie
Summary: Max was threatened to go back to the School to save the Flock. She does, but when she escapes, they tell her she cannot return to them. She finds a new family and all is well... for awhile. What happens when the old Flock finds Max?
1. Prologue

**Authors Note: Read and review. Please and thanks, dolls!**

**And, yeah, this is a prologue sort-of thing. Just, read.**

Have you ever had a serious case of déjà vu? Yeah, well, I have. His name is Ari. Except this particular case of déjà vu gets worse every time I see it.

The current situation? Angel- being held down by three Erasers and bleeding from a deep gash on her arm.

Gazzy- unconscious on the floor.

Nudge and Iggy- trying to fight but mostly giving up, knowing its uselessness.

And Fang- at gunpoint thanks to Ari.

What about me, you may ask. Well, credit to my new "power", I was untouched. Force fields come in handy, just a note. I haven't quite got the hang of it yet, though, so I can only protect myself.

"So, what'll it be, Max? Come with us and give the others a normal life, or let them die one by one, starting with Lover Boy here." Ari said, pushing the barrel of the gun harshly against Fang's temple. Fang's jaw twitched but he stayed still, knowing Ari would kill him if he so much as yawned.

I squeezed my eyes shut, permitting only a single tear to roll down my cheek before composing myself and facing Ari again.

"I… I…" I started, trying to gather enough courage to leave the Flock for possibly and probably forever. Ari scowled and cocked the gun.

"Time's up." Ari growled coldly, his clawed finger slowly lowering onto the trigger.

"NO!" I cried, flinging my arm out to Fang and dropping the force field from around me. I focused on Fang as hard as I could and put the force field around him, leaving myself vulnerable but managing to keep Fang alive. The bullet was a split second too late and it ricocheted off of the invisible wall around Fang, burrowing itself in a wall.

"I'll go." I said quietly, avoiding Fang's stare.

"No!" Fang and Iggy cried in sync. Nudge looked at me like I was finally crossing over to the insane side. Angel started sobbing loudly and that woke Gazzy up. Angel must have sent him a telepathic message about the situation because he sat up and looked at me in horror. I kept my face ice cold and stepped towards Ari. He grinned wolfishly and I flinched in spite of my 'show no emotion' plan.

"Ari, can I at least say goodbye before I return to Hell?" I asked, the sarcastic remark lost in my tear-choked voice. Ari shrugged and retreated outside with the other Erasers.

"Max, please don't go." Angel whispered as she wrapped her arms around me. I knelt down to her level when she let me go and took her by the shoulders.

"I have to go, baby. It's to protect you, and all the Flock. You guys are my world, and I couldn't live with myself if you died because I refused to give myself up. I love you so, so much, though. Always, no matter what, remember that." I said, feeling my heart break apart at her tears. I kissed her forehead and moved over to Gazzy.

"Max, stay! Please. It isn't fair!" Gazzy cried, hugging me tightly. I sighed and held back a sob.

"No, Gaz. I'm leaving. I have to. I know it isn't fair, but, then again, none of this is fair. It's not fair that we were made into birdkids, not fair that we were tested on and kept in cages, and definitely not fair that we have to be terrorized by Erasers and whitecoats. I love you, Gazzy, and you'll always be my little trooper." I whispered into his hair, then gave a final squeeze and detached myself from him.

I turned to Nudge, but she glared at me and went to quietly sob in the far corner, away from me. That finally made tears run down my cheeks, but I bravely turned to Iggy and wrapped my arms around him, relieved that, for once, the hug wasn't awkward.

"Iggy, please help Fang take care of the kids. Oh, and watch after Fang for me, too." I said, leaning up to whisper it in his ear.

"Hate to break it to ya, Max, but I won't be watching after anyone anytime soon." Iggy smiled sadly at me and I made a sort of choky laughing sound. He squeezed me hard, then let me go. I turned to my best friend/ right hand man/ love of my life and started to hug him, only to be shocked by my own force field. I smiled sadly and lowered the shield, feeling the power being drained from such a prolonged use of it.

"Fang," I whispered before being silenced by his lips on mine. I was shocked, to say the least, but before I could react, he pulled back.

"Don't go. I love you, Max. I need you. Please, stay." Fang said pain in his eyes. I bit my lip to keep from sobbing again and just pulled his lips to mine. I conveyed everything through that kiss: how much I loved him, that I would be ok, how sorry I was, the list goes on. Finally, I pulled back.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered, then turned and ran to Ari, who was waiting for me in a van outside. I jumped in and made the driver step on it, refusing to look back. I almost welcomed the darkness that enveloped me when Ari took out a needle and jabbed it into me.

Almost.

**Author's Note: This is a sort of prologue, and this has almost nothing to do with the rest of the story, but you need it so as not to be confused.**

**REVIEW! I'm offering virtual cookies! Who can resist? Ha.**


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Note: Alright, I'm introducing new characters here. So I need a claimer and -sigh- a disclaimer.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from MR. But if I **_**did**_**, I would totally keep Fang in a cage in my room. BWAHA!**

**CLAIMER: I own Zane, Milo, Killian, Cole, Raven and, and Hazel. Steal and frickin DIE!**

"Max! Erasers!" a voice hissed in my ear. I jumped up, placing myself into my fighter's stance, ready for anything. I looked around to see how many Erasers were around and found- no Erasers. Instead, a tall boy with sandy blonde hair covering his eyes was writhing on the ground, shaking with laughter.

"Works… Every… Time!" the boy gasped out between chuckles. I rolled my eyes and stuck out my hand for him to get up. He took it and dusted himself off. I watched, then, when he least expected it, I punched his shoulder- hard.

"OW! What was that for?" the kid asked, clutching his already formed bruise.

"For being you, Zane." I sighed. He looked at me and grinned, already disappearing. I rolled my eyes again and silently counted down.

_Three… Two… One…_

"Aw, baby, you know you want me." Zane cooed in my ear, using his teleporting power to appear behind me. I grinned to myself and turned around, looking up at him. He looked down at me, his hazel eyes glinting in amusement. I leaned closer, standing on my tiptoes to place my lips so close to his that he could feel it when I talked, but we weren't exactly kissing. I diverted my eyes to my hands as they slid up the front of his shirt and rested on his chest, then looked him in the eye again.

"You wish, Lover Boy." I whispered, pushing him away from me playfully. He smirked and walked off, probably to wake everyone else up. I sighed and shook my head, smiling slightly. After I had changed and fixed my hair so that I didn't look like I had just been electrocuted, I made my way over to the small huddle of people sitting in the middle of the clearing, our current campsite. Everyone turned to me and I got various hello's and good morning's as I sat beside Zane.

Who are these people? Well, they're my… family. Not my Flock, even though we all have wings. No, the old flock didn't appreciate the fact that I willingly left them (hello, it was for their own good!) and Fang refused to let me stay with them. So, after almost dying of heartbreak and several suicide attempts, I met Zane and his group. To make a long story short, we've been together ever since. Zane, Milo, Killian, Cole, Raven, and Hazel are my family now, and I couldn't be happier.

I looked around our small circle, stopping to reminisce some memories I had with each one.

Zane, the eldest at 18, and the oldest living Avian Human Hybrid. He's practically our leader, but he turns to me and Milo a lot for help. Zane is the best- he's funny, he almost never loses his temper, and he's _so _cute. And, yeah, I have a bit of a major crush on him. He's just amazing. Even his powers are amazing: Besides the wings and teleporting, he has this thing called "power absorption", where he can take some of your superpower from you and multiply it inside him where he has full use of it until he gives it back. So, he pretty much could have every power imaginable, if he can find people with powers besides us. It's SO cool, but he hardly uses it, because it also makes the person he takes it from very weak, and he would _never _hurt one of us if he could help it.

Next up, Milo. She's 16, like me, and my best friend. She's actually the one that found me and brought me to Zane, and the one who convinced him to take me in. I owe her _so_ much for that, and she doesn't _ever _let me forget it. That's how she gets me in skirts and wearing make-up, even though I would rather be given to an Eraser as a chew toy rather than that. She says that I could be a supermodel, and that's why she makes me do that awful girly stuff. Truth is, _she _is the one who could be a model. She's positively gorgeous, but she is _way _modest. She absolutely loathes attention. Maybe that's why she's a shape shifter, so that when she wants to blend in, she can. That almost seems too logical for the whitecoats, but I don't believe in coincidences, so who knows?

Then there is Killian. He's 15, and he's in love with Milo. Milo, of course, strictly enforcing her "no attention" rule, refuses to like him, or any other guy for that matter, and she let him know that. Gently, of course, because Milo cannot stand hurting people. Unless they hurt us. I think she actually does like him, though, and that she just doesn't want everyone all over her because of their relationship. Killian took her letting him down well, considering how much he likes her, and now he mostly just stays in the background, helping out with everything, but not really talking or anything. It's kind of a painful reminder of Fang, and I told Killian that. Since then, he's become a little more talkative, trying as hard as he can to make me forget my past, but I still get the feeling he would be sullen and silent if I had said nothing. It's kind of sad, and I feel bad for him, but I don't let it show. That would make him mad, and he would become a frickin snake or something and poison me. Oh, yeah, Killian has a power that we call 'Animal Mimicry', where he can take on the characteristics of almost any animal. It's cool, except when he uses it against you. Then it's just freaky. But Zane has threatened to take the power from him (**an: Zane can do that with his power and he can make it his own**), so Killian keeps it PG.

Cole, the ageless one. No, I'm being serious. He's been around for God knows how long with the mind of a 15 year old and the mentality of a three year old, like most 15 year old boys. He was captured by the school and they grafted wings on him, making him an ageless birdkid mutant freak. Isn't that a lovely title? Anyway, Cole actually _looks _young, too, with sloppily cut strawberry blonde hair and freckles. The only part of him that looks the least bit older than fifteen is his eyes, which give off a somewhat knowledgeable look when you look at them closely. His power? Ugh. It's the worst one, even though he has saved us on multiple occasions with it. He goes into this thing Zane calls 'CGM' (Cole Goes Mad) and you know he's like that when his eyes go completely white and his voice is really cold sounding. When he's like that, he could beat Omega with one hand tied behind his back. It's actually quite scary, but he's never hurt me, or any of the others, and Raven can usually talk him through it, so I don't worry about it. Much.

Raven, the firestarter. She's only 14 and she can already control fires bigger than the Atlantic Ocean . Scary, huh? Yeah, I know. Ironically enough, she looks very water nymph-y. Long, crimpy blonde hair, teardrop shaped aqua eyes, clear, pale skin. All in all, she's very pretty. Long way from Milo, but still enough to make a few guys give us double takes when we're in public. But those guys don't have a chance with her. She's _all _Cole's. Also, she can read minds, even better than Angel could. Raven can override any block, and she can pry into memories as well. She has almost gotten it to where she can connect all of our thoughts so we can have conversations without speaking, but she is still working on it. We don't mind this power most of the time, but _sometimes _we slip and have a panic-stricken, amused, or horrified Raven. It all depends on the person…

And my favorite little girl _ever_ is little Hazel. She's 7, and she is the sweetest, most innocent little girl I've ever seen. Even with her cute innocence that just goes along so well with her beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes, she can kick about 30 Eraser butts at the same time from here to next Tuesday, easy peasy. See, her powers are super strength, and she can manipulate time, making it slow down, or stop altogether, keeping only the people touching her from being frozen. Together, those two powers have made an incredible fighter, sometimes even better than me, and I couldn't be prouder. She is so cute, and she has a surprisingly good handle on right and wrong, at least for a 7 year old, making me the proudest 'foster' mom ever. She tells me all the time that I am like her mom, and I heard her tell Zane once that he is like her dad, so we protect her the best we can. Everyone does. Our whole 'family' loves her to pieces, and I know we all would just die if anything ever happened to her.

As for me? Well, I'm 16 now. For now, I'm as completely happy with my life as I can be, and a better fighter than ever, thank you very much. Not even Hazel can beat me when I'm in fight mode, and she was designed to be better than any other experiment. I have a _bunch _of powers now, and I have a feeling I'm not done getting them. Along with my 'hyper drive flying' or whatever you want to call it, and my force fields, I have about four other powers.

For one, I can see and change emotions (**an: I counted this as 1 because their both about emotions**). When I see someone's emotions, certain colors represent emotions, and their eyes go the color of their emotion. Only I can see the change, though, and it can be mighty amusing. I mean, seeing someone with pink irises is cause enough to crack up. For me, at least.

Anyway, my second power is that I can take control of other people's bodies. My body just stands there, completely still and kind of on autopilot, and I take over my victim's body, taking over half of their brain. They have to do what I tell them to, even if half their brain is screaming no. It can be mighty fun, but it reminds me of what the Voice used to do, even if I usually don't hurt the person. Much. Still, because of that, I don't do it much. Too many memories.

Three, I'm immortal. Yeah, I'm going to live forever. Now I know why those suicide attempts just hurt horribly and why I had never, well, _died _when everyone thought I would. It sort of sucks, knowing I have to stick around until the world comes to an end. Probably even after. Ugh.

My fourth power? Lately, I've been getting dreams, unclear and sort of like memories, except they haven't happened. I told this to Zane, and he bought me a journal to write them down in, and to cross them out if they happen. Just in case. Well, I've written down thirteen dreams, and eleven have happened. Notice something odd? Yeah, well. Thankfully, I've not dreamed anything extremely bad. Yet. I know it's just a matter of time.

Even with all of these powers, I still consider myself the most normal out of all my family. I mean, Zane is only 18 and he sometimes he has to act like the adult for everyone, even though he technically is, but, still, it isn't fair. Killian and Milo are always paranoid about the next Eraser attack, and they hardly ever relax. Cole knows he has anger problems and he is constantly watching what he says, making sure he doesn't accidentally insult one of us and start something. Raven is also watching what she says, sometimes for Cole, but mostly for herself because, once, she accidentally set Milo on fire in an argument. Not pretty, lemme tell ya. So she's constantly worried, and I don't think she ever forgave herself, although everyone got over it, including Milo . And Hazel, well, she's stronger than a frickin herd of buffalo, and she realizes she's different, not just because she doesn't have a 'real' family. I mean, I realize I'm a freak, too, but I've accepted it. Surprisingly, when I came to live with Zane and all of them, I found myself relaxing more, being able to lay back without being so tense that I was sore the next day. Milo says I'm crazy for relaxing so much, but she knows that I can go from relaxation to fighter mode in a split-second, so she mostly stays off my case. Besides, I think she knows that relaxing is a new thing to me, and to let me enjoy it. Whatever the case, I'm the best off, and Zane always tells me that I deserve to be the happiest, considering my past. Maybe it's true, but I still try my best to make everyone as happy as I.

"Breakfast at Hardee's in ten!" Zane yelled in my ear, jerking me from my thoughts. I glared up at him, but smiled when I saw his heart-melting grin, letting him help me up. He squeezed my hand gently before stepping back and giving me enough room to snap out my wings. They were quite a sight, even to me, the one who had lived with them for practically ever, and I wasn't surprised when Zane's eye's shone purple with awe. I smirked at him and leapt into the air, not needing a running start anymore. Milo, Zane, and Killian followed me and, with my incredibly good 'raptor vision', I spotted Cole and Raven banking to land behind the fast food place, followed a little uncoordinatedly by Hazel.

Only seconds later, I was reenacting Cole and Raven's graceful descent and watched as Zane and Milo followed suit. Finally, we were all ready and we walked inside. We got our abnormally large amount of food with no problems, relieved about the distinct lack of people in the restaurant and somewhat set on guard.

I finished first and leaned back to rest for a few more moments before heading to another random location to escape from the Erasers that were bound to show up eventually.

"Angel, don't play with your food." A deep voice caught my attention and I tensed at its familiarity. Cole felt me stiffen and looked at me, a question in his eyes.

"Max?" Cole said, a bit shaken at the look of pure horror on my face. I ignored him and whipped around in my chair, scanning tables. My gaze settled on a large table in the back corner of the restaurant, and I gasped. Sitting around the table, five very familiar people were stuffing their faces.

Great.

**Author's Note: So, there we go. It's a really long chapter, mainly filling you in. Next chapter is where Max meets up with the Flock. Excited? I am. NOW REVIEW!**

**Pweese and thankies.**


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: The long awaited meeting! I'm sorry if anyone is OOC, but I have a hard time finding good enough lines for Max to use, esp. with her sarcastic-ness. Is that a word? Guess not. Any who, READ ON, FRESHNESS LOVER, READ ON! …sorry, I just love the Febreeze commercials ha-ha.**

**Max thoughts- **_this is Max_

**Raven thoughts-** _this is Raven_

**Milo thoughts- **_**this is Milo**_

"Oh, no." I murmured to myself, unable to take my eyes off the familiar sight. Zane glanced at me, then, following my line of vision, jumped up, knocking his chair to the floor with a loud crash.

"We're going. Now." Zane told us. I complied very willingly, but the loud noise of the chair hitting the floor had attracted the attention of everyone. Yes, even the old Flock. Fang was staring at me, a weird look on his face. Personally, I was surprised there was _any _look on his face, but, hey, people change. I would know.

Switching on my handy-dandy emotion detector, I wasn't surprised when his eyes turned the deep sea-green of disbelief. But, was that… Could that flash of yellow be hope? What the…

"Let's _go_!" I hissed, not taking my eyes from Fang. Milo grabbed Raven's hand and Zane picked up Hazel, both hurrying out the door, Killian close behind. Cole would not budge, though, and I noticed the fading of his irises.

"Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. Cole, stop! Leave them alone! Let's just go." I cried, trying to step in his way. He just advanced like I wasn't there.

"They hurt you, Max. It's only fair that they get hurt, too." Cole answered and I flinched at his cold tone.

"Cole, stop this, NOW. _Raven!_" I screeched, knowing I was attracting unwanted attention but not caring, my goal of keeping everyone alive getting in the way. Raven stuck her head in, and, seeing Cole, she ran in and set herself in front of him, whispering to him and stroking his arms and face. When the green finally came back, she dragged him outside to avoid further mishaps.

"M-Max?" a nervous voice piped up behind me and I turned to see the eager, hopeful faces of Nudge and Gazzy. I swallowed back tears and tried to calm myself down, thinking about an escape plan. I almost screamed when someone grabbed my shoulder, and I whirled around, only to find Zane protectively standing next to me, glaring at Fang.

"Zane! Get Cole, Killian, and Hazel out of here. But make sure Killian leaves Cole alone, because he almost went into CGM in here. Leave Milo and Raven with me. We'll be fine, and Hazel needs you." I ordered him, keeping my voice light even though I was internally panicking. I don't know if seeing the old Flock had put me in leader mode, but Zane nodded warily, still eyeing Fang as if to detect threats. Finally, Zane turned to me and brushed his lips against mine, sending shocks through me. Then, he turned and Milo was suddenly next to me, holding Raven's hand and grinning at me knowingly. I looked at the old gang, checking emotions.

Angel- worried, hopeful, scared

Gazzy- hopeful, nervous

Nudge- hopeful, worried, confused, scared, regretful, relieved (**an: I just had to make Nudge's emotions as complex as her speeches. It just fits.**)

Iggy- confused, nervous, relieved

Fang- jealous

Ok, cool. So everyo- wait. Jealous? No way. I mean, Fang and I had kissed before I left, but he had practically disowned me! No, that can't be jealousy.

"Milo, should we go to the cave? I mean, we can't go back to camp just yet. Cole needs to calm down first. I just can't take the risk of his hurting someone." I suggested, biting my lip. Milo nodded and smiled encouragingly. I squared my shoulders and turned to the old Flock, silently asking if that was ok with them. Angel nodded first, and she probably asked the others, because suddenly everyone except Fang was nodding. Raven smirked and I could tell she was reading minds. I snapped my fingers in front of her face and gave her a warning glance, then shook my head 'no'. She smiled sheepishly, then nodded, mouthing sorry. I smiled reassuringly at her, then followed Milo out of the front doors, leaving the fast food restaurant behind as we hiked up the hill behind the restaurant, headed away from camp but towards the little cave Raven and Cole had found (I wonder what they were doing…). The Flock stayed behind the three of us, but it was obvious that they were following us.

"Where's Zane when you need him?" I muttered to Milo, talking about his teleporting powers. She got it and nodded, rolling her eyes and making a face at the mountain. I giggled and then followed her finger as she pointed. Squinting, I found the cave opening.

"Oh, screw this. I ain't walking up a freaking mountain." I said to Milo , then let out my wings. Jumping off the ground hard, I shot up, then settled into the very back of the cave, waiting for the others to filter in. It only took about ten minutes, and we automatically made a circle, sitting Indian style on the cold ground, Milo and Raven on either side of me.

"Well, this is awkward." I said, looking around at everyone. Milo smirked and let out a 'tell me about it'.

"Uh, since Milo and Raven have no clue who you are except for my descriptions, why don't we each go around and say our name, age, and power." I suggested. The Flock looked at Fang and I felt a pang at how they looked up to him now and not me. He shrugged and sat back, resting on his elbows.

"Raven, go ahead." Milo said, smiling at her. Her face went blank for a second and then she burst out laughing. I rolled my eyes and shot Raven a look that said 'no mind reading!' and she took a deep breath, calming herself.

"Hi! My name is Raven. I'm 14, but I turn 15 in May, which is only a few months away, so I'm excited. Uh, I'm a fire starter and I can read minds. But don't bother putting up blocks, I can override them." Raven warned, shooting a glance at Fang, whose eyes flashed orange in panic.

"Fang, stop panicking. I told her no mind reading, and if she disobeys, I will kick her skinny white butt from here to next Thursday. So it's good." I said, smirking when his eyes flashed red-orange with embarrassment. But, not unlike the Fang I used to love, his face showed nothing, only his eyes. And only to me.

"Max, you wouldn't do that to _me_, would you?" Raven asked, her eyes wide in fake innocence.

"Nah, I probably wouldn't. But, still, no mind reading!" I said, hugging her with one arm. She smiled and nodded.

"Anyway, Milo, go 'head." Raven said, still leaning against me as I rocked her slightly.

"Um, ok. Hi, I'm Milo. I'm 16, like Max. I'm a shape shifter." To prove her point, Milo changed into me, the only difference being her eyes. The brown of mine didn't quite cover the deep green of hers, so she looked a little… off. But, still, everyone (but, of course, Fang) gasped in amazement.

"Uh, Milo, honey. I know I'm better than you and all, but, please, stop trying to be me." I teased. Milo stuck her tongue out and then changed back into herself, glancing down to see that everything was back to normal.

"Ok, how about Angel next." I said, shrugging. She grinned timidly and I smiled a _very_ small smile back.

"Hi. I'm Angel, and I'm 8. I'm a mind reader, like Raven, but I can't do anything with blocks. I can also swim underwater for over an hour at a time, and I can talk to fish. I can make people do things with my mind, and, of course, I can fly." Angel finished, snapping out her small white wings. Raven smiled at her sweetly.

_Raven, I know you're listening._

_Hi to you, too, Max._

_Raven, I said _no._ But, if you're going to disobey me, at least do something useful._

_Like what?_

_Like, check them all and be sure they're safe. But don't let them catch you._

_Mkay. I'll say yes or no to you when I finish. Yes for safe, no for not._

_Alright. Thanks, sweetie._

_No problem, Max._I smiled at her and she smiled back, and then turned to Angel, her face becoming impassive.

"Gazzy, you want to go?" I asked, and he shrugged, looking very timid and scared.

"Um, I'm the Gasman, but everyone calls me Gazzy. I'm 10, and I can mimic voices. I can also control water a little bit. Like, I can't make hurricanes or anything, but I can make it rain in our area for a short time and stuff." Gazzy shrugged, like it was no big deal. I kept my face as impassive as I could, but I was shocked.

_Maybe these guys have changed since I've been gone. _I thought, feeling tears come to my eyes.

_**We have, Max. But every time we got a new power or something good happened, we wished you were there. **_I looked at Angel in surprise and she nodded solemnly. I bit my lip and looked at my lap, putting mind blocks up so I could be left alone.

"Oh, oh, me next! I'm Nudge! And I'm 13. I have telekinesis, and I can hack into pretty much any piece of technology. Oh, and when I touch stuff, I see what happened, like, if I touched you, I would see a memory of your past, and it's real- mmph!" I gave a real smile to Iggy as he slapped his hand over Nudge's mouth, keeping her quiet. He smiled back and I looked back at my lap, still thinking.

"Whoa!" I jumped up as I realized what just happened. Raven looked a little scared and Milo looked confused, but Iggy had a smug look on, and his eyes shone gold with pride.

"Iggy, c-can you see?" I asked, scooting over to sit in front of him. I almost fell backwards when I saw the milky, unclear blue-white gone and the beautiful ice blue from when we were in cages (**an: It's sad that I can't say diapers.**) there in it's place. A wave of anger washed over me when I thought about how I wasn't there for him, but I was still happy as heck for him. Iggy grinned widely and nodded, looking absolutely ecstatic. I smiled back at him and threw my arms around his neck, giving him a quick hug. He was noticeably surprised, but he slipped his arms around me and squeezed back. I pulled back after a few seconds, afraid of crying.

_Why is this so freaking special?_ Raven's voice calmly said in my head.

"Language!" I screeched, glaring at Raven. She smiled sheepishly and ducked her head in embarrassment. "Anyway, since this is not my story to tell, I think Iggy should. But not now. Just introduce yourself for now, and we'll discuss this when we're with Zane and all of the others." I said, smiling.

"Alright. Well, my name is Iggy. I'm 15, but I turn 16 in, like, 2 months. I can see," Iggy joked and shot me a grin. "I have super-hearing that we used to think was because I was blind, but it didn't go away when my vision came back. Oh, and I can make nuclear bombs in about 13 minutes, with the right materials." Iggy chuckled at my look of pure horror.

"Psh. Bombs. Disgrace, really. I can do that with my _mind_, so who needs 'em?" Raven joked, smiling. Iggy laughed a little and I smiled, then dropped any facial expression as I turned to Fang.

"Your turn." I said, looking at him, making my voice be cold even though I was jumping for joy inside for Iggy. Fang's eyes turned fuchsia with dots of bright green, sadness and guilt. I almost scoffed but didn't, instead scooting back to my place beside Raven and Milo.

"Name's Fang. 16. Super strength." Fang said, holding my gaze the whole time. I looked down, hating the feelings I got when Fang looked at me.

"Oh, so… You're like Hazel." Raven pointed out.

"He doesn't know Hazel." I told her.

"Oh, yeah, I forget that not everyone knows who I do." Raven said, smacking her forehead. I smiled and nodded.

"Well, would they like to meet Hazel?" Milo piped up, looking deep in thought. I bit my lip and looked at Raven.

_Did you search them?_

_Yep. They're all clean. But Fang has a few thoughts about you that would get him killed if I told Zane…_

"Raven, don't you dare!" I shouted, jumping up. She smirked.

"Feelings, eh? Don't worry. I was like that when I first met Cole. It gets better…" Raven teased. I lunged for her and pinned her down, considering my options: Wring her neck and have Cole mutilate me in CGM, or tickle her until she promises to leave me and Fang out of her discussions. I chose the latter.

"Hey, Max! No, stop! Please! Ahh…" Raven screamed as I attacked her. I grinned evilly and she started laughing harder when I moved to her sides.

_I give!!_ Raven screamed in my mind. I winced, then rolled off of her, smirking at her lack of breathe.

"I won't tell Zane anything. And I'll stop reading minds." Raven said grudgingly. I smiled victoriously and stuck my tongue out at her. I looked around and almost laughed at the faces watching our little skit.

"You don't wanna know." I said, shaking my head and sitting up.

_I asked that question so I could know if they're safe to bring back to camp._

_Oh… Well, they are. But that little one, Gazzy, he's mighty creepy. And Iggy, well, let's just say I'm glad he was blind for those explosions he caused._I laughed at Raven's mixture of horror and disgust. Of course, I got looks like you-are-so-freaking-crazy, but I just smiled innocently.

_Ok. Do you think you can connect me and Milo's thoughts to you?_

_I can try._

_**Hi, guys. I'm here. What's up?**_

_Why does this remind me of a chat room?_

_It is kinda like one, isn't it?_

_Um, yeah. Anyway, do you think it would be ok with Zane to bring them back?_

_**Well, Zane would agree with anything if you were in it. But, I think it'll be ok. As long as Cole stays calm.**_

_Well, I can take care of Cole, so it's cool there._

_Ok, it's settled. We're bringing them back with us. We need to go soon though, or else Zane and Killian will be worried and Cole will freak out over Raven._ I nodded to them and they nodded slightly back. I felt the connection break and almost expected to hear a 'user has signed off', but, of course, it never came.

"Ok, guys. What would you say to going back to camp with us and meeting the rest of our family?" I asked, looking at each person except Fang in turn. I avoided Fang's eyes entirely. Of course, the rest of the old Flock looked at him, and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him shrug, then give an almost imperceptible nod. I doubt Milo or Raven caught it, but I was experienced with Fang, so I didn't miss anything. I stood up and stretched, followed by Milo and Raven. The others looked kind of afraid to go with us, but they stood, too, eventually. Running to the entrance of the cave, I unfurled my wings and jumped out into the bright sky. The feeling of power and grace I always got from taking off diminished as a wave of pain erupted in my head and a creeping darkness overtook me.

Then, nothing.

**Author's Note: Dun dun dun! A bit of a cliffhanger. Stay with me here, I'm already starting to type up chapter 3, or 4, whichever way you look at it.**

**REVIEW, PLEASE!**


	4. Chapter Three

Images. And colors. Snapshots of places I've been, and places I've dreamed of. Flashes of people I've seen and some I haven't, but who look strangely familiar. And voices. So many voices. Some crying for help, some screaming in pure horror, some shouting curses, others talking very fast, muttering prayers and for God to save them. All of this in my head, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

"Stop! Stop talking!" I screamed, clutching my head in agony. But they wouldn't. They kept assaulting my senses, kept screaming for help. But one voice stuck out in particular: a very familiar one, one that I hadn't heard from since the Flock and I parted ways.

Hear this, Maximum? These are people dying. Because you refuse to save the world. You're stubbornness is costing thousands of lives. Get on with your destiny. Don't dwell any longer. Others may die. Others that are close to you.

"No!" I screeched, close to tears. As if punishing me for resisting, the pain turned up a notch and a scream was ripped from my lips.

_Please, stop this. I'll save the world, I will. Just… please!_ Yes, folks, I was begging. Can you picture the agony just yet? If the voice had a face in my head, I swear it would be smirking. But the pain subsided, and I was left on the ground, helpless and breathing abnormally fast. I held my breath for a few seconds, then let it out, forcing myself to breath slowly and deeply.

"Max, what happened?" Milo asked beside me in her no nonsense voice and I jumped, not realizing everyone was with me. I pried open an eye and looked around, noticing the seven worried faces around me.

"Nothing. Headache." I told her. Hey, it wasn't a lie. Just try getting an ill tempered, annoying voice in your head and not call it a headache. She snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Max, was it a brain attack?" Iggy asked quietly, getting straight to the point. I bit my lip and ducked my head, a little ashamed.

"Yeah." I whispered, avoiding their eyes.

"But, Max, when you had brain attacks before, you never… screamed like that. In fact, I don't think you've ever screamed like that. It was horrible. It was all shrill and stuff, and it really scared me. And you …" Nudge trailed off when Iggy gave her a shut-the-frick-up glare.

"I… I don't want to talk about it." I said, standing up shakily and dusting myself off.

"Fine, you don't have to talk right now, but when we get back to the others, you're _so_ telling us what's up." Milo warned.

"You're just lucky that Fang caught you." Raven told me, looking like she was still afraid of me falling from the sky. I smiled reassuringly at her, then her words sunk in and I froze.

_Fang _caught me? _Fang_?! The guy that had my heart, then totally broke it? I don't know why this surprised me so. I mean, he had caught me countless times back when the Flock hadn't split, but… I shook my head, confused.

"Uh, thanks." I said in Fang's direction, avoiding his eyes.

"No problem." Fang said, shrugging and standing up. I nodded, still not looking at him, and motioned to Milo and the others to take-off.

"You sure you're ready, Max? I mean, if Fang hadn't of caught you, you could have broken every bone in your body or… worse." Iggy said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I took his hand in mine and squeezed, then dropped it back to his side.

"Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine. I've flown feeling worse. Let's go." I instructed, jumping into the air before anyone else said anything. Actually, on the inside, I was way nervous to start flying, but I would not, no, _could_ not show weakness. Being invincible made me, me, so I kept flapping, leading the others to camp.


	5. Chapter Four

**An: Sorry I haven't updated lately. I have a new chapter coming up VERY soon. I pinky swear haha.**

**BTW: Hazel calls Max 'Mama' and she calls Zane 'Daddy' because they are the closest things to parents she has ever had.**

"Mama!" Hazel spotted me first, her beautiful blue eyes scanning the skies for Raven, Milo, and I. I smiled and landed, holding my arms out to give her a hug. She ran to me and I spun her around, loving her delighted squeals and high-pitched laughter. She grinned at me when I finally put her down. Her smile faded, however, when she saw the unfamiliar people standing behind me.

"Hazel, could you go get Zane for me? And get Cole and Killian as well." I kneeled down to be in front of her and she nodded eagerly.

"Sure, Mama!" Hazel said, then turned and ran to find her 'Daddy' and the other two members of our strange family. I smiled slightly after her and turned to face everyone else. Milo was smirking, leaning against a tree, and Iggy had an eyebrow quirked.

"Mama?" he asked, looking pretty shocked. I exchanged a glance with Milo and we both started to laugh hysterically, followed by Raven after she read our thoughts.

"Ig, I haven't had a kid… that I'm aware of." I said once I had composed myself, but that made me go into fits of laughter again. I glanced at Fang and visibly saw his relief, which, of course, made me laugh harder. Raven was the first to stop laughing and face Iggy.

"Max rescued Hazel from the School when the rest of us escaped and she took to calling her 'Mama' because Max is the only person that's ever really been like a real mother to her. And she calls Zane 'Daddy' because Zane told Hazel that he thinks that he is in love with Max." Raven clarified. That made me stop laughing.

"What?" I gasped, wide-eyed.

"Oh, has Zane not told you?" Milo said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Well, uh, no." I said, scratching the back of my neck. Milo looked shocked, but Raven shrugged.

"He's working up the nerve to." Raven told Milo, who nodded. Suddenly, she looked behind me and motioned for us to drop the subject. I turned and saw Hazel skipping in front of the three boys. Before Zane even got close, I could feel the hate rolling off him.

"Zane, play nice." I said, reaching out and grabbing his hand. He looked at me, his eyes turning softer, but I could tell he was still on edge.

"Introductions?" he asked softly. I nodded and motioned to Angel.

"That's Angel, and she's 8. Her brother is Gazzy, the blonde one over there, and he's 10. The talker of the group is Nudge, the dark one over there, she's 13. Iggy is the way tall, pale one, and he's 16, like me. And I'm guessing you know which one is Fang, since you keep sending him death glares." I teased, whispering in his ear. He smiled and gave a half-nod.

"Mama, who are they?" Hazel piped up beside me, clutching my hand and looking worried.

"Hazel, they're old… friends of mine." I said, unable to think of another way to put it. Zane looked like he would've scoffed, but I shot him a glare and he just grinned, making me feel like evil butterflies were attacking my stomach.

"Oh." Hazel said, and then ran up to Iggy, who looked a little nervous. Hazel looked him over for a second and then smiled and Iggy grinned back, all traces of nervousness gone. I swear that girl can melt hearts. If I didn't know better, I would swear that was her power.

"Hazel, honey, that's Iggy." I called to her, amused at the way she called him 'Mr.' or 'sir'. She looked from me to Iggy, then went back to her conversation, filling in his name where needed.

_**She's so cute! **_Angel's voice squealed in my head. I grinned at her and she smiled back at me. By then, Zane had moved over and was talking quietly to Killian, who was, as usual, tense and on edge.

"Max. Can we talk?" a voice whispered in my ear. I mentally rolled my eyes. Of course the one I absolutely did _not _want to talk to absolutely _did _want to talk to me.

"I guess so." I sighed.

_Raven; tell Zane that Fang and I are going to go for a walk so we can catch up. Tell him to come for us if I'm not back in 20 minutes._ Raven looked at me and nodded, then concentrated on Zane. This time, _he_ looked at me and nodded, a mixture of worry and hate directed at Fang in his eyes. I smiled reassuringly and winked playfully at him. He grinned and turned back to Hazel, who was impatiently jerking on his hand for his attention.

Sighing again, I leapt into the air, following Fang, who led me about three minutes away from everyone else. We landed in a cave and I looked around, getting chills as I remembered what happened when we were last alone in a cave together.

"Max… you can't imagine how much I… well, _we, _have missed you." Fang said, referring to the Flock. I felt my jaw drop open and I immediately snapped it shut, clacking my teeth together hard.

"Oh. So, you missed me. You, the bast- er, _jerk_ who made me leave the Flock forever? The one who tore me from my only family? The person who said they loved-" I had to stop there. Tears rushed forward and I angrily swiped them away, hating my emotions.

"Max, please. Let me explain." Fang pleaded. I glanced over at him, surprised at how much emotion was written on his face. Was it just me, or was I the only one he opened up to?

"Explain what, Fang? What is there to explain? I already know all I need to." I said, looking at the cave floor.

"No. No, you don't. You don't know the half of it!" Fang cried, moving in front of me and gripping my wrists. I knew he wanted me to look at him, but I couldn't. Too many emotions. Too many feelings.

"Tell me, then." I sighed, giving in.

"Max, after you left, Angel tried to read your mind, but you were unconscious or something, and we couldn't do anything. We decided to go to the School, but when we got there, it was abandoned. Everything. And we didn't know where to go. But, one day, we were in a hotel and someone knocked on the door- and it was you. Well, not you, you're clone, but at the time we thought it was you. Then Angel read her mind and knew it wasn't you, because she was thinking about how you had died and how she was a much better replacement. We almost killed her, but I couldn't let anyone kill her, it made me think we were killing you, and I couldn't do that, so we kicked her out and started to run again. I think everyone almost died inside after that." Fang paused, and I looked up at him, amazed at how many words were spewing out of his mouth. My amazement grew when I saw his eyes glistening with tears.

"And then you came back. We wanted to believe it was you, so, so badly, but Angel said you had put blocks up, and she couldn't read your mind, and I couldn't risk it, for the Flock's sake. So, I told you to leave. I thought you were a clone, I thought you were dead. None of us have been the same since, and this is the happiest I've seen Iggy and the kids in a long, long time." Fang whispered, as if it pained him to raise his voice. I looked into his eyes and saw total sincerity, and the fuchsia surrounding his pupils told me he was so, so sad about this whole thing. This was so… out of character (**an: bwaha!**) for Fang, yet I had gut feeling that every word was the truth.

"Oh, God, Fang. That must have been so horrible." I said, forgiving him. I realized I was an idiot for thinking he would make me leave the Flock without a reason. Fang nodded and I bit my lip, then threw my arms around him. He became a statue for a moment, then slowly, oh so very slowly, his arms slipped around my waist and he squeezed me back. We stayed like that for a while, but I finally pulled back.

"We have to get back. I told Zane to come look for me in 20." I answered when he looked at me questioningly. He shrugged and his eyes flashed a little at Zane's name, but he ran to the entrance and took off, his midnight black wings taking my breath away for a minute. I shook my head and ran after him, silently reprimanding myself for having anything besides love for Zane. No Fang, no Iggy, no anyone. I cringed a little on the inside, feeling as if I had committed some sort of… incest at even thinking of liking Iggy. He's like my brother. And so is Fang. Right? Right. But if he's just my brother, why do I get nervous when he looks at me? Why do I stutter around him? And why does everything about him amaze me? Ugh. I shook my head and banked, realizing we had arrived back at the camp while I was thinking.

_Max! You're back! Zane was just thinking he needed to go looking for you._ Raven's voice filled my head.

"Uh, Rave, hun. I'm right here!" I said, waving at her. She grinned and shrugged one shoulder.

_I like using my mind._ Raven thought to me, and I sighed.

_Whatever. No mind reading for… other purposes, though! _I said, er, thought to her and she nodded solemnly.

"Welcome back." Zane whispered in my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him. In the dark recesses of my mind, I was shocked. But, then again, 99 of me wasn't. See, Zane and I don't have a 'relationship', and he's not my 'boyfriend', that's way too cliché. But, I know Zane _likes _me and I know I _like _him. Maybe love, but I'm not so sure there. But, all the same, I know there is _something _there, something neither of us have vocalized but that both of us know. How do I know that he likes me, you may ask. Well, in case you haven't noticed, he's always wrapping his arms around me, or touching me, or looking at me. I don't know. Sort of what _normal _human beings do during a crush. Or not.

I smiled at Zane over my shoulder and leaned against him, momentarily forgetting my mental argument over my feelings towards Fang.

"Uh, can Zane and Max please disentangle themselves for a moment to come over here?" Killian asked, all sarcastic like. I flicked him off before reluctantly pulling away from Zane's warm body and joining the circle of mutant freaks.

"Uh, I need to talk to… Zane, Milo, Killian, and Raven, privately, please." I said, looking around at them. The four of them followed me a bit aways from the camp, not far, but enough so even Iggy's super hearing couldn't pick up our words.

"What is it, Max?" Cole asked, a little on the impatient side.

"I need to know if we're going to let them stay here." I said bluntly. Zane's head snapped up and his eyes narrowed. I took that as a 'no'.

"I mean, _I _trust them. They've always been good to me, well, most of the time. And I have an explanation for them… 'Disowning' me, you might say. Furthermore, Raven already checked them and said they're clean. So, why not?" I asked him, searching his gorgeous hazel eyes. He seemed to be on lockdown, though, and even my Zane trained eyes couldn't see any answer but 'no'. So, I did what any other semi-normal teenage girl (not that that describes _me_) would do. I leaned in and kissed him, feeling his will break up into bits. He wrapped his arms around my waist but before he could bring me any closer to his _gorgeous _body, I pulled back. He looked _so _completely adorable, his hair a little messed up and breathing a little abnormally, but the confusion was evident.

"Can they stay? Say yes or I won't kiss you again." I said with complete sincerity. Raven looked at me like who-are-you-and-what-have-you-done-with-the-real-Max (probably because I banned the mind reading), and Milo was smirking smugly, like she knew it would happen. And Killian, being the predictable, quiet sarcasm queen -ahem- king he was, stood there as if he had 1,000,000 sarcastic things to say on the tip of his tongue. But he refrained, realization coming over his face, mirroring Zane's expression.

"That is _so _wrong." Zane groaned. I smiled in fake sweetness and crossed my arms over my chest. He sighed.

"Fine." He huffed. I cocked my head and tapped my chin in mock thought.

"What was that?" I asked, loving watching him squirm.

"Ok, they can stay." Zane said.

"Huh? I believe my words were 'say _yes_'." I teased, still tapping my chin and putting a faraway, 'thinking' look on.

"Ugh. You're ridiculous. _Yes_, they can stay." Zane sighed and I threw my arms around him.

"Men. It's amazing what you do when you're in love." I whispered in his ear. His eyes widened.

"Who told you I am in love with you?" Zane asked. I smirked at his admission.

"Raven." Zane glared at her but I kissed him again, breaking up all of his thoughts. He instantly kissed back. We stayed kissing for probably 3 minutes, then I pulled away.

"There are young ones in the area." I said, then giggled. Zane looked around and sighed, then grabbed my hand and led me- and the others- back to the circle of people. Somehow, the only person I noticed was Fang- and the reddish flare of his eyes, signaling jealousy. Oh great.

**AN: Please don't make me beg for reviews. It don't make me feel good. But I will if I don't get… at least 3 reviews for this chapter. Love, peace, and elbow grease.**


	6. Chapter Five

"Mama!" Hazel screamed as Zane, Milo, Killian, Raven and I made our way back, pointing to the sky. I turned quickly and saw the large, deformed shadow of a group of Erasers coming towards us.

_Don't panic, it'll be ok, just _don't _panic. _I told myself. Zane backed up from me, knowing this was my time to take over.

"Raven, get behind Cole. Cole, under no circumstances, should you go into CGM, if you can help it, but protect Raven if she needs help. Rave, if things get out of hand for you, pyrokenises (**an: fire starting**) is ok. But be absolutely _sure _of where you're aiming. Hazel, don't slow anything down or stop time unless I give you the signal, you know the one. Milo, fight as hard as possible without killing yourself, it looks like there's about… 45, I would say. Zane, teleport to help anyone if they need it, and make sure none of the Erasers get away. Killian, no animal stuff in the air, if we do a U & A. I don't know what could happen, nor do I want to." I ordered, all the while positioning myself in front beside Zane. Milo was on his other side, Killian a little behind her, Cole next to him, Raven behind him, and Hazel standing by Raven, a cold determination crossing her face. I did a 360 quickly and noticed the old Flock in their own positions. I felt almost proud, but quickly realized they were not my responsibility at the moment. My responsibility was to protect my own 'Flock' and to kick Eraser butt. Nothing else.

"Hello, Maxie." Sneered, you probably guessed it, Ari. I internally groaned.

"Ugh. You again? I haven't seen you since…" I trailed off, feeling tears instantly prickle the backs of my eyes.

_Not the time, Max. Stop it. STOP it._ I thought, blinking rapidly. Ari grinned.

"Aw, since I took you from the others over there?" Ari said, knowing it would tick me off. It did.

"Yes. That is exactly the time I was thinking of." I said, my voice low, dangerous. I took a few steps towards Ari, motioning behind my back for the rest to stay put unless we make a move. I glanced up and saw the rest of the Erasers in the air, hovering, waiting. I refocused on Ari and picked up on his emotions. Nothing unusual there. Hate, rage, jealousy, excitement. I decided not to change his emotions. No fair.

_Max, it's not fair that they keep trying to keep us, either._ Raven reminded me, obviously unsettled by my wanting to keep this fight fair.

Yes, Maximum, Raven is right. You should use every tactic. I clenched my jaw.

_Do you _want _me to fight dirty? _I practically screeched in my head. I saw Raven wince out of the corner of my eye.

_Yes._ Raven and the Voice responded at the same time.

_Fine._ I thought, then turned invisible. Ari stopped cold, looking around in confusion. I stepped in front of him.

"Boo." I whispered, then slammed my fist into his snout as hard as I could. Let me tell you, that's pretty hard. He howled in pain and backed up, but I wasn't done. I spun and sent a roundhouse kick to his chest, knocking him over. That was all I felt comfortable with doing while invisible, so I dropped the power and put up a small force field around myself. Ari reached out to me and shocked himself, tried again, shocked again. He growled in frustration and motioned to the other Erasers to come help him out. They landed and started on the two groups of winged boys and girls. I became invisible again and circled around Ari to be behind him as he picked himself up. He looked around for me and I waited until he looked to his left, then slammed my fist into the right side of his neck, rendering him unconscious for at least an hour.

"Max!" Raven screamed and I looked over at her, coming into view again. Cole was trying to take on 6 Erasers, and it wasn't working. He was already wearing down and he had several cuts and bruises. Raven was taking on 4, but one had her hair and she couldn't move without a sharp tug.

"Fire acceptable!" I shouted to her and saw her hands heat up instantly. I watched her in fascination, but quickly looked away when her fireball barely missed Iggy. I looked around, noticing Zane and Fang fighting side by side, and seeing Hazel kicking about 8 Eraser's butts with no help.

_She's not your average 7 year old, _was my last proud thought before my knees suddenly crumpled beneath me and I fell into a sort of trance.

Right in the middle of a freaking fight.


	7. Chapter Six

**AN: The italics is a vision.**

**I actually have a confession: All I want for Christmas is Edward Cullen. FOR SURE! I'm listening to 'all I want for Christmas is you', so I decided I should share that lovely thought.**

"_Max, um, can we talk somewhere private?" Fang asked, looking uncomfortable. I nodded and took his hand, letting him help me up. Zane gave me a be-careful look and I nodded imperceptibly, unless you're very trained on my actions._

"_What do you need to talk about, Fang?" I asked, breaking the silence as we walked away from camp._

"_Well, I don't really need to talk to you." Fang admitted, avoiding my eyes. I cocked my head._

"_Then what do you need to do?" I asked. Fang didn't answer, just turned to me and brought his lips to mine. It was so desperate, so longing that I just couldn't bear to pull away. I snaked my arms around his neck and he backed us into a tree, kissing me harder every second._

"_Oh God." Someone whispered behind Fang and I pulled away from him. I stood on my tiptoes and saw Zane staring at us in shock._

No, no, please no. Don't let this be happening._ I thought, biting my lip._

"_Zane, wait!" I cried as he sprinted away. I pushed Fang off of me and ran after Zane. He was faster though, and he stayed ahead. We ran and ran, neither giving up. Finally, we came to a cliff and I slowed down, expecting him to stop. He didn't, just kept running and dove off the side- with his wings tucked in._

"No!" I screamed, tears running down my face. I opened my eyes and was surprised to see a whole bunch of faces around me- including Zane. I jumped up and hugged him hard, crying into his chest, ignoring the scattered bodies of Erasers littering the ground around us. He was surprised, but he hugged me back and rocked me, shushing me and stroking my hair.

"I had a vision, Zane." I whispered, my sobs toned down to shudders. He pulled back and looked me in the eye. I couldn't hold his gaze, the memory- or vision- of Fang's lips on mine fresh in my mind. He pulled me back to his chest and whispered to Milo.

"Get everyone out of here for a while. Come back in, like, twenty minutes." I squeezed my eyes shut and heard wings opening and the sounds of taking off. I didn't care if anyone was still there, or if no one was. All that mattered to me was that Zane was not dead. And I had not kissed Fang. Zane gently pulled away from me and sat down, pulling me onto his lap. I curled into him and breathed deeply, shakily. We stayed like that for a long time, just thinking, not talking, while I gathered the courage to tell Zane.

"Zane, you do love me, right?" I asked him, leaning back to look into his eyes. He looked surprised.

"Of course, Max. I don't see how I could live without you." Zane said, which, of course, reminded me of my vision. I bit my lip.

"If I… If our 'relationship' or whatever didn't work out, because of me, what would you do?" I asked, suddenly nervous and very scared. What if this vision came true? What if my feelings for Fang are actually coming back? What if-

"I… I don't know. But, no matter what, I want you to be happy." Zane sighed and I could see it was the truth. He wanted me to be 100 happy, no matter what. I almost sighed in relief.

"Thanks, Zane." I said, curling back into him. He looked surprised.

"What are you thanking me for?" Zane asked.

"For-" I was cut off by Milo's returning with the rest of the two 'Flocks'. I smiled weakly at them and laughed thinly when Hazel tackled me in a tight hug, but, the truth was, that vision, or dream, or premonition, or whatever you feel the need to call it really messed me up, even with Zane's reassurances.

"Max, are you going to be ok?" Milo asked, looking at me weirdly.

"Define ok." I muttered. She looked increasingly worried and I inwardly groaned. I didn't need a worried mother-figure on my tail, especially one the same age as me.

"You know what I mean." Milo said gently, trying to push me into talking to her.

"Yeah, I do, Milo. And I'm going to be fine. As long as what just happened was not a vision." I said, the last part was more to myself than her.

"What happened?" Ig asked quietly.

"You don't want to know." I said.

"Yeah, I kind of do. Otherwise I wouldn't have asked." Iggy teased, but I could tell he was struggling to not worry about me.

"Well, then, _I _don't want you to know." I countered. He shrugged and held up his hands in surrender.

"So, before our conversation was so rudely interrupted by those freaking Erasers, we came to a decision." I said after a long, awkward silence, looking at every person in turn.

"Aaand?" Iggy said when I paused.

"Aaand… we want to combine Flocks." I said quickly, holding my breath. No one moved for a minute, then the youngest started hopping up and down and screaming ecstatically.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Hazel cried and I was surprised that she cared so much. I looked at Angel. She smiled widely and nodded so fast I thought I heard her neck crack. Next, Gazzy, who shouted 'YES!' and went over to talk excitedly to Iggy. I looked to Nudge, who was trying to calm down. When I looked at her, she started jumping up and down again and screaming 'yes'. Iggy nodded and grinned at me, and Fang stood there with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Fang? I need an answer." I said. He shrugged, then slowly, almost reluctantly, nodded. I smiled and jumped off Zane's lap.

"Well, I guess we're together." I said, smiling. Milo whooped loudly and got even _Killian _to laugh with her goofy victory dance. I collapsed into fits of giggles as she got Gazzy to come dance with her. They looked so… so… so carefree and… young, it was amazing. It helped me forget the vision, if only for a moment.

But it never lasts.

Maximum, that was a good decision. The 'old Flock' can help with the saving the world mission. I rolled my eyes.

_I wasn't even thinking about the mission when I asked them to join._ Oops, wrong thing to say. A steel blade of pain sliced through my left temple, making me wince. I bit my tongue to keep from crying out.

Maximum Ride, this mission is your one and only priority. Do not fail. Do not get distracted. The consequences will be must worse than a simple 'brain attack'. I didn't answer, just rubbed my throbbing temple and fought back tears.

"You ok?" a voice whispered in my ear. I whipped around, sending more pain into my brain, and saw Fang. He looked genuinely concerned and I shrugged.

"Not really." I whispered, hoping he wouldn't hear it. He did, of course.

"You need to talk?" he asked.

"No. I need a plan." I said, then turned and walked a little bit away from our deformed semi-circle.

_Ok. The Voice wants me to save the world, says that the others need to help me, and says that the plan has already started and that I'm too late to save some people. I don't know where to go-_

Wilmington. Wilmington, NC. Start there. Work west. The oh-so-helpful Voice piped up.

_Fine then. I need to go to Wilmington, I don't know what I'm looking for-_

You'll know it when you see it. God, does it ever shut up?

"Shut up!" I screamed, bringing my knees up to my chest and hugging them. Everyone stopped to look at me in concern and I leapt up, ready to leave suddenly.

"Get your stuff. We're going to NC. It's about a day and a half away, not going max." I said, moving back to them and grabbing my backpack. I stuffed everything into it.

_This is like the old days, except this time we're running _to _the enemy. _I thought, looking at the sky, my domain, the place I felt safe. This time, however, it suddenly seemed like the worst place possible to be.


	8. Chapter Seven

**AN: I NEED YOUR HELP! Do you want this to be Fax or Mane/Zax (Max and Zane, duh)? First five reviewers get choice!**

**Oh, and I'm sorry it's taking so long to update, but Saturdays are my major updating days, so I'll mostly update once a week. Don't take away the reviews and love, though!**

The flight to North Carolina had taken less time than I had figured. We had reached Wilmington at the end of the first day. Of course, Raven and Hazel (along with Angel, Nudge, and Gazzy) had wanted to check into a hotel- by the beach, of course. I stubbornly refused and I was proud of myself for it. I had resisted the bambi eyes- for approximately twenty seconds. Then, I was ordering the Flock to keep an eye out for a hotel. Of course, it didn't take long.

"There!" Raven shrieked, pointing to a large sign flashing 'Vacancy'. I shrugged and Zane, seeing my bored approval, pointed to the little alley behind the hotel, signaling for everyone to land there. It took a few minutes, but eventually all of us were together on the ground, ready to go get a few rooms and get into bed.

"Zane, you're 18. Go get four rooms, please." I said, handing him a wad of cash- mostly stolen, but some from the waitress job I had had back for the short time in Houston. Of course the credit card Jeb had mysteriously left for me in New York had run out of money a year ago. No matter how much they were paying whitecoats these days, it wasn't ever going to last forever. Zane nodded and walked to the counter with Milo by his side. She looked way older than me, and she acted older, too, so she usually handled 'grown-up things'.

It didn't take them long but still, when they came back I almost sighed with relief that the awkward silence was broken. I took the cards from Zane and held them out.

"Three to a room." I said, watching as we almost subconsciously went into groups. Raven and Milo stood to the side and, by mutual agreement, I was with them. Fang, Iggy, and Gazzy were standing together, and Killian, Cole, and Zane looked to be in a group. Hazel looked up at me, shifted her gaze to Nudge and Angel, and looked back to me, silently asking to be with the two young girls. I smiled and nodded slightly at her. She let out a small sound of thanks and ran over to the two chatting girls.

I led the groups to their rooms, which, unfortunately, were scattered down a long, long hallway. Still, we were close enough to hear each other if, say, dozens of Erasers came in to slice and dice us in our sleep. Yeah, plenty close.

"Iggy, I don't know if you're still into explosion stuff, but _no bombs._ You either, Gazzy." I instructed, handing Iggy the room key. He looked a little surprised that I was 'bossing them around' like back in the day, but he covered it with a smirk, putting on an innocent who-me? face. I rolled my eyes at that. Gazzy nodded, a scarily evil grin planted on his face, and led the silent, brooding one and the tall, mischievous one into the room.

Next, the three youngest girls. I put them in a room and wasn't surprised to hear the beds creaking from a few young ones jumping relentlessly on them as soon as I closed the door.

I trusted Zane enough to go on his own to his hotel room, so I handed him the key and led my own girls to our room. The door creaked open after a gentle push and we all looked around, a bit wary. Two full size beds, medium size TV, mini-fridge, balcony. All in all, a _normal _hotel room.

"So…" I started, setting my bag down near the dresser and nearly tackling my bed. The others looked at me.

"What do ya'll want to do?" I asked. Milo opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by a knock at the door. I frowned and hopped off the bed, cautiously going to the hotel door. I looked out the peephole and sighed in relief- just Fang.

Wait. Just Fang. _Just _Fang. Just _Fang. _I admit, I was freaking out a little bit, but I did not want my vision to come true- even if we weren't out in the middle of a forest right now. I shivered as I 'felt' Fang's body pressing me against a tree, his soft mouth moving against mine, his-

I was jerked from my thoughts as Fang knocked again, a little more impatiently. I threw the door open.

"Yes? Can I help you?" I asked him, poking my head into the hallway.

"Uh, yeah. Talk?" Fang asked, scratching the back of his neck like Milo did when she was nervous. Hm…

"Well, I was going to take a shower. Can we talk later?" I asked, trying to hold off the inevitable. He shrugged and wordlessly turned and walked down the hall to his room, leaving me thankful and… hurt? Why the frick do I feel _hurt?_

I sighed and walked into the bathroom, shivering at the cold tiles under my bare feet. I turned out scalding hot water and quickly undressed, then stepped under the spray of water. Sighing with pleasure, I washed my hair and body, prolonging the motions as long as possible. But, inevitably, it ended and I stepped out, drying my hair and body. I pulled on the short-shorts that Milo had given me to substitute for pajamas and a shirt that barely reached the top of my shorts. A little too… revealing, for me, but it was better than sleeping in jeans. Way better.

"Guys, I'm going to talk to Fang. Go to bed soon." I yelled as I slipped into the long hallway. I knocked on the door that I knew to be Fang/Iggy/Gazzy's room and waited impatiently. The door flung open and Iggy was there, toothbrush dangling from his mouth, blocking the entrance.

"Nice to see you still have good hygiene." I said dryly as I pushed past him. Luckily, all three boys were decent- except for Fang's lack of shirt. But I, being in total self-control as always, kept my eyes from going farther down than his neck. Still, it was _hard._

"Hey, Max." Fang said, glancing up from whatever he was working on. I wasn't sure what it was, because looking would involve glancing at his abs and I didn't think I had enough willpower to divert my eyes after.

"Uh, hi. You needed to talk to me?" I asked, leaning against the wall. Fang didn't seem to have the self-control I was showing, because his eyes flickered over the half inch of skin showing above my shorts and down over my long legs. I internally rolled my eyes but let him look, seeing as he hadn't looked me over in about 2 years. Fang nodded after his eyes made their way to my face and I led him out into the hall, keeping myself an arm's length away at all times, just to be safe.

"Ok, Max, I-" Fang started, interrupted by a muffled scream coming from room 409- Hazel's room. I abruptly sprinted there, followed by Fang, and banged on the door, praying nothing was happening. Nudge flung the door open, eyes wide in terror.

"Nudge, sweetie, what happened?" I asked, catching her as she stumbled to me and collapsed in tears.

"Ari… took… Angel." Nudge sobbed. I immediately stiffened.

_RAVEN!_ I screamed, in my mind.

_What? What's going on?_ Raven responded, and I could imagine her springing up from the bed at the sheer volume of my thoughts.

_Get Zane. Get him to come to room 409. Read Hazel's mind and tell him the story. Tell him I'm going. I'll be back soon. _I said, placing Nudge gently in Fang's waiting arms and moving to the open window. Hazel was in the corner, crying and looking so regretful. I briefly debated comforting her, but decided Angel needed me a bit more. Gracefully jumping out of the window and unfurling my wings, I turned on the speed and raced away from the hotel.

_Ask Nudge where they went, _I demanded.

_She doesn't know. They went southwest, though,_ Raven informed me, her small voice magnified in the panicked workings of my mind. I silently thanked her and corrected my course and flew faster, faster, faster. I knew this had to be over 800 mph; the wind was whipping my face harder than ever. I would've laughed if lives, or a life, were not at stake- one I cared very much about, even from 2 years ago.

Soon, lumpy shapes appeared on the dark horizon, illuminated by the moon, and I turned invisible, slowing down slightly so my wings didn't make any sound. I saw the profiles of three Erasers as I flew closer. One was Ari, who was clutching an unconscious Angel in his arms. I felt a growl rising in my throat and swallowed it down, keeping my presence unknown.

Ari suddenly looked around, his face tilted up, sniffing. If I could've frozen in the air without falling, I would have. But, of course, I couldn't, so I held my breath and hoped to God or whoever that Ari couldn't smell me. His sudden leer said he could.

"Oh, Max. How nice of you to join us. And alone, too! This will be fun." Ari sneered, not bothering to look around after being acquainted with my invisibility yesterday. I internally sighed.

"Give me Angel and I won't have to kill you. Otherwise, I'm not going to be held accountable for my actions." I snarled, coming into view. Ari barked a laugh.

"Really, Max, come on. It doesn't help my ego when you say such things as to me 'giving you Angel'. What are the chances?" Ari asked, his gaze on her.

"Of you giving me Angel back? Slim to none. Of me getting Angel back after kicking your butt all over the place? Pretty high, I would say." I smiled sweetly. Ari's eyes narrowed. I glared back but not intensely enough not to notice Angel stirring in his arms.

_Angel, honey, it's ok, I have a plan. Don't 'wake up' just yet. _I instructed, careful to not let any emotion creep onto my face. I noticed she squeezed her eyes shut again and she slowed her breathing. A half-smile threatened to break out onto my lips, but I covered it with a scowl at Ari.

_Ok, sweetheart. I need you to control the other two and inconspicuously get them to fall. No sounds, whatsoever. And keep pretending to be asleep. _I instructed the girl.

_**Ok, Max. Distract Ari, please. **_Angel said, her voice scarily tiny and weak in my head. I momentarily worried that she wouldn't be able to control the others, but, sure enough, they dropped out of my peripheral vision. Thankfully, Ari's eyes were so trained on me, waiting for my move, that he took no notice.

_Good job, Angel. You've done great. Now, I want you to 'wake up', and yawn and stretch and all that, then 'accidentally' punch him as hard as possible. He's probably going to drop you, and when that happens, I'll catch you and take you to the hotel. Ok? _I almost bit my lip, nervous at how this would turn out. Angel gave an inconspicuous nod and then yawned, stretching out her arms and legs and cracking her neck. She rubbed her eyes and Ari looked down at her, hate shining in his eyes. That made Angel a bit mad- she punched his nose so hard, I swear Zane and the others could have heard it back at the hotel. Ari, as expected, brought his hands to his gushing nose- releasing Angel to freefall.

I dove to catch her, avoiding Ari, who was far from paying attention to me, his nose clearly snapped in at least two places. I scooped Angel up and didn't hesitate to pour on the speed, running from Ari at about 700 mph. I must have exhausted myself getting to Angel, because I couldn't do my absolute fastest, but it was close enough. Nothing could catch up with me now. Especially not a freaking fridge with wings.

It took only about ten minutes to get back to the rest of the group, who were all crammed in room 409, anxious, worried, and relieved when I flew through the open window. I put the fast asleep Angel on a bed and curled next to her, stroking her hair, touching her face lightly so as not to wake her, murmuring apologies and condolences even as she slept on. She stirred slightly but kept sleeping, her breathing deep and slow.

"Max, come on. Let's get you to your room." Zane whispered beside me. I looked around and saw that only Zane, Nudge, and Hazel remained with Angel and I. Zane took my hand and pulled me up, letting me lean against him.

"Hold on a second. I'm going to check on the guys. Go to bed." I instructed him as we passed Fang and the other two boys' room. I leaned up and kissed his cheek goodnight. He seemed to know I was in no shape to argue as he nodded, kissed my forehead gently, and slipped down the hall and into his room. I knocked on the door and held my breath, extremely uncomfortable with the conversation that was about to commence. Fang threw the door open after about ten seconds.

"Max?" Fang cocked his head, probably confused that I was coming in so late.

"Apparently." I sighed, sarcasm somehow lost in my choked voice. Fang narrowed his eyes in concern and grabbed my hand, pulling me into his room. He let go at the wrong time, however, and I crashed into his chest. He didn't seem to mind, so I wrapped my arms around his neck and started to sob quietly, taking the two sleeping figures on the beds into consideration.

"Shh. It'll be ok. You got Angel, she's safe. No worries." I almost laughed at his last sentence. No worries? Whatever. What is there _not _to worry about? This thought made me cry a bit harder.

I cried for at least 45 minutes longer, and Fang held me the entire time, rocking me and trying to shush me. I had finally cried all I could cry, the tears completely dried up.

"Fang, when was the last time one of you got taken?" I asked, biting my lip against a dry sob rising in my throat. He looked away from me and looked at his lap. I put my hands on either side of his face and made him look at me. His eyes met mine and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"You were the last." Fang mumbled. I closed my eyes and dropped my hands from his face. I knew it.

"When was the last time you were attacked?" I asked, eyes still closed. Fang wrapped his arm around my waist and held me to him, knowing I was internally breaking apart.

"A week after you left." Fang said, reluctant to say the words but more reluctant to lie to me. I put my face in my hands, feeling my warm tears run through my fingers as I wept. This was so unnatural, for me to cry, but once it started, it had to run it's course.

The tears dried up a minute later, but I was still crying on the inside.

"So I must be the reason for the attacks. You haven't been attacked since I left, or close enough. It makes sense. I'm a liability to you all." I whimpered. Fang stiffened, gaping at me in shock, then shook his head hard.

"No, Max. No. You're not the reason. It… it can't be you." Fang said, obviously trying to convince himself and not me.

"You know it's me Fang. Think logically. It has to be me. I… I can't stay here. I need to leave. Someone could be hurt because of me. Or worse." I grimaced, the words killing me with their truth. I stood and tried to leave, but Fang grabbed my wrist, jerking me back into his chest. He held me there, ignoring my protests and threats.

"Why can't I leave?" I hissed at him finally, giving up on trying to escape his iron grip.

"Because then I'll go through the heartbreak I barely survived last time." Fang whispered, his hand tilting my chin so I looked at him. I gaped at him in surprise, and watched in shock as he slowly lowered his lips to mine. Closer, closer, closer with each second.

I was frozen as he kissed me, his lips on me, without a response. I couldn't think straight, and I couldn't think it through.

So I kissed him back.

**AN: OMG, right? I know! It sounds like Max is some… some **_**whore **_**or something. AND SHE'S NOT! But I need reviews so I can write the next chapter. Choices are:**

**Max and Fang**

**Max and Zane**

**Max and Iggy (Sorry, had to. I love Miggy!)**

**Review and vote, please. And thanks, loves.**


	9. Chapter Eight

_Whoa, what am I doing? _I screamed at myself, acutely aware of Fang's hand creeping up my shirt. I gently pushed him off, gasping for air and backing up a little. He looked confused and a little dazed, probably mirroring my expressions.

"I'm… sorry…" I gasped, breathing hard still. Fang nodded slightly and got up. I eyed him warily as he came over to me.

"It's ok, Max. I would never push you to do something you didn't want to." Fang breathed in my ear, his lips accidentally brushing my earlobe, sending thrilling chills up my spine. I looked at him and saw he was being honest. Smiling slightly at his sweetness, I took his face in my hands and pressed my lips to his. He tensed, clearly surprised, but he kissed back and pushed me against the wall behind me.

He was being gentle, probably thinking I was going to push him away again at any moment, but that was the _last _thing on my mind. I slid my hands up over his shirt and neck, finally twisting them in his dark hair. His arms slid around me, sneaking up my back and keeping me cemented to him.

And someone knocked at the door. We both froze for a moment, but I recovered and pushed him away.

"Get the door." I hissed at him, happy to see his hair looked messy in that cute 'just got out of bed' look. He glared at me but threw open the door all the same. Standing there was a completely gorgeous red-head. Fang looked surprised, as I'm sure I did, but something about her seemed so familiar…

"Hi, Milo." I sighed, recognizing the light green eyes that never seemed to change in any of her 'disguises'. The girl looked surprised, then grinned.

"Hi, Max. Fang." Milo said, looking at both of us, her expression unreadable.

"You need something?" I asked, suddenly on edge. Fang, who had been thoroughly surprised that this was Milo, seemed to pick up on my mood and tensed.

"No, no. Raven needs to learn to stay out of people's heads, though." Milo hinted, her voice colored with accusations. My stomach dropped. I glanced at Fang and he didn't look too good, either.

"I'll agree to that." I choked out, trying to be calm and not pulling it off. Milo smirked.

"So, uh, Max. It's late, and I'm pretty sure _Zane_," Milo stressed Zane's name and I beat down the urge to flinch, "will get us up early in the morning, so… bed?" Milo suggested. I bit my lip and nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, that's… fine, Milo. Uh… Good night, Fang." I said, avoiding his eyes. Milo took my arm and led me out the door and to our room, not speaking, setting me more on edge. When we got in the room, I tackled the bed and closed my eyes, involuntarily smiling at the memory of the kiss.

"What. The. Heck. Was. _That?_" Milo hissed, her voice low and deadly. I flinched, not opening my eyes.

"I… don't know." I groaned, burying my face in my palms.

"Max." Milo sighed, her voice softer. I reluctantly looked at her. She had changed back into herself, but she looked different with the sad expression on her face. Surely the indestructible happy-go-lucky attitude Milo had perfected wasn't broken by _me? _I suddenly had the urge to cry, but, being me, I didn't.

"Max, you have to choose. It's not fair to either to string them along." Milo advised, her voice soothing and reasonable. I nodded, biting my lip.

"But… how?" I asked. Milo shrugged.

"Don't ask me! I've only ever had to let down Killian, and I don't even remember how I did that." Milo admitted. I glanced over at Raven, making sure she was asleep. Her breathing was deep and even and she looked completely serene.

"Milo, I feel like such a whore saying this, but… I _want _both of them." I said, avoiding her eyes. She sighed heavily.

"That's mighty selfish, Maximum Ride." Milo said, her tone screaming disapproval.

"I know!" I groaned. Milo half-smiled and hugged me, her hard body oddly comforting.

"Max, sleep on it. Go to sleep, and maybe you'll have your answer in the morning." Milo suggested. I nodded into her shoulder and slipped out of the embrace, climbing under the covers and willing sleep to overtake me.

It did, and I was asleep before I even registered Milo shutting off the light.

**An: Filler chapter, sorry. Decision next chapter!**

**Sorry for the wait. No computer for a while. [**

**REVIEW and you get another chappy! **


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